Basel's parliament decided yesterday to reject the Pro Trolleybus initiative in favour of an all gas bus option. This means 26 new gas buses will be acquired instead of the alternative which was considered which is reported as the purchase of 13 new trolleybuses and replacing the other 13 trolleybuses by gas buses (sic — Basel currently has no more than 11 trolleybuses). This decison was taken by 60 votes to 51. The last word has not yet been spoken as Basel's citizens will vote over this in a referendum later this year. The vast support the referendum initiative received (over 8000 signatures) gives hope that this battle can be won. The 26 new gas buses would cost 5 million franks and the fueling station 1.5 million.

Webiste comment: The short-sightedness of the anti-trolleybus faction is on par with the massive tram and trolleybus abandonments of 1960s, only with the hindsight of history reducing the refuge of ignorance or innocence. In times of spiralling costs of fossil fuels and concerns over carbon dioxide it cannot make sense to wish to rely so strongly on a single source of energy whose prices are dictated by events far beyond local control — and this for very marginal and speculative savings. Electricity too, of course, is influenced by oil and gas prices, but electricity comes from many sources, including local ones, which makes its cost so much more robust in the face of crises. The higher costs of trolleybuses are larely offset by the longer working life and lower operating costs. When the environmental advantages and customer attractiveness are added, the gas bus must be a very meagre proposition. Come on Basel, wake up! And all the best for the referendum! (please also visit the homepage of Pro Trolleybus, www.protrolleybus.ch.)